Quito to Shell

1/20/08

Imagine crossing the center line of a one lane highway in a bus while passing two trucks, around a corner with a 1,000ft drop visible from your window going downhill at 60 miles an hour and you would get the gist of the drive down the panamerican hwy towards Shell. And of course the ride started with my host declaring, “Just to let you know there was a really bad accident in Rio Verde yesterday when a bus flipped over and 6 people were killed.” Rio Verde being on the same bus route we were taking. Couple that with passing through smoking volcano territory and I think it classifies as a mini adventure. My friend John Finlay always used to say, “It’s not an adventure until you don’t know if you’re going to make it.” Well the volcano didn’t blow and the bus didn’t flip so I guess it came out OK in the end.

My spacious apartment is right above the Nat Saint Memmorial School and is part of the “Historical district” as far as the mission is concerned. I am in one of the original buildings and living in the previous teachers home. It has hard wood floors, windows all around, and two bedrooms. So not only does it have fish-bowel views, but it has an extra room for guests as well! My living area and smaller bedroom have a view of the airport and runway, my dining area and kitchen have a view of the back of the school, and my bedroom has a view of the basketball court. Did I mention I had an extra room for guests?

Though Shell has two main streets (one being the Pan American hwy), I’d have to classify it as a one horse town. Maybe two ponies, or one very big llama if you pushed it. Not very much here at all. Did I say it was small? There are a couple ladies from the mission that actually, no joke, walk the runway every morning at 5am before the planes start flying,. And to think I was jesting when I said I’d run up and down the runway for exercise! It’s about a 10 minute walk to the hospital from where I am living. To get there you have to cross a very narrow and quite long suspension bridge. There was some big black bird with white wing tips hanging out under the bridge. I was wondering if it was a condor. Anyone want to look it up for me? Some crazy bright red butterflies, loads of birds, orchids, and wild ginger about. It smells like Hawaii and has already rained 3 times since I got here.